Comparing the Kansas City Chiefs Today to 2003's Team

Kansas City Chiefs fans have to love the hard work general manager Scott Pioli is putting in right now. Pioli continues to construct a vigorous offense by adding playmakers that will help the Chiefs contend in 2011.

As the Chiefs kickoff their preseason in one week, fans will be glued to see the newcomers develop before the regular season gets underway against the Buffalo Bills on September 11th.

This is another important preseason for Kansas City. The Chiefs made it to the postseason, but were routed by Baltimore and realized there is a lot of room for improvement. Pioli has sought several players through the draft and free agency this offseason to perk up the Chiefs offense.

Kansas City’s No. 1 receiver led the league in receiving touchdowns, but there was no one else to help carry the load as the Chiefs were ranked 30th in the passing game. However, the Chiefs were assertive in the rushing department as they placed first in the league.

Although the Chiefs released a five-time Pro Bowler in Brian Waters, Pioli’s collection of new talent will help the Chiefs move forward on offense.

Defensively, the Chiefs have managed to bring back most of the players along with the addition of two new potential starters. The biggest loss on defense was Mike Vrabel due to retirement.

This Chiefs football team is poised to have a big season as they’ve managed bring back a majority of their players who made a big impact in helping the team win the AFC West last season. But how talented is this Chiefs football team compared to the 2003 Chiefs team?

Quarterback

Matt Cassel and Trent Green both struggled in their first season in Kansas City. Green went on to two Pro Bowls as a Chief while Cassel has appeared in one so far.

Green had a lot of talented players around him and didn’t have a hard time finding a receiver as he throw for over 4,000 yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Green also completed 63 percent of his passes, earning him a 92.6 quarterback rating.

With more talent at the receiver position, Cassel should have a better season as he prepares for his third year with the Chiefs.

Running Back

No team had more touchdowns on the ground than the Chiefs in 2003. Priest Holmes carried the ball to the end zone 27 times, breaking the record for most total touchdowns in a season previously held by Marshall Faulk. Holmes held the record for two seasons before it was shattered by Shaun Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson.

Last season, the Chiefs ranked first in the league in rushing as Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones shared the carries coming out of the backfield. There is also speculation that the Chiefs will use Dexter McCluster as a receiver, but give him more face time as a running back.

Provided that no changes are made, the Chiefs have three reliable running backs that will allow them to lead the league in rushing for the second consecutive season. Back in 2003, many teams relied on only one running back. Derrick Blaylock was second on the team in rushing in 2003 with 112 yards. Three players on the team, including Cassel, surpassed that total in 2010.

Expect the Chiefs to have another dominant running game this season.

Fullback

After Tony Richardson left Kansas City in 2006 to go join the Minnesota Vikings, the Chiefs struggled in finding the right fullback to replace Richardson. This past week, the Chiefs signed Le’Ron McClain, who has a lot of similarities to Richardson, in terms of overall success. The only thing that separate the two is that McClain runs the ball more than Richardson.

Both Richardson and McClain make a big impact in helping teams succeed in the ground game.

In 2008 and 2009, the Baltimore Ravens finished in the top five in the league in rushing. While McClain did carry the ball for the Ravens, he also helped pave the way for Ray Rice and Willis McGahee during his time with the Ravens. McClain earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2008 and 2009 for his contributions.

With Charles and company in the backfield, McClain will can help him earn a lot of yards in one play by blocking an extra defender in traffic. Expect Charles to find a lot of success with McClain’s help.

Tight End

Tony Gonzalez was a quarterback’s best friend in Kansas City. Everyone is aware of what Gonzalez was capable of as shattered the record for most receptions, yards and touchdowns caught by a tight end in a career as he is still playing and can set the bar high by the time he retires.

Tony Moeaki has been compared to Gonzalez quite a lot since his arrival. Both tight ends can not only make big plays, but also pick up blocks to protect the quarterback and help tailbacks when they run to the outside. Gonzalez and Moeaki both played a big role in the rushing game as blockers and helping their respective teams succeed in the ground game.

This season will be Moeaki’s second in the league. After a strong rookie season, Moeaki is expected to have a better season in year two.

Wide Receiver

Eddie Kennison, Johnnie Morton and Dante Hall were all key factors in the Chiefs passing game. Even with Gonzalez on the team, there wasn’t one receiver who stole the spotlight in 2003.

In 2010, the Dwayne Bowe was the lone superstar for the Chiefs. While Bowe did lead the league in receiving touchdowns due to is playmaking ability, it also had a lot to do with the lack of support from Chris Chambers and the other receivers on offense.

This season, the 2011 Chiefs receiving game could bring a lot of flashbacks of the 2003 Chiefs receiving game. The Chiefs drafted Jonathan Baldwin and signed Steve Breaston from free agency to reduce the weight carried by Bowe and help a 30th ranked pass offense.

Offensive Line

The 2003 offensive line was full of elite linemen with future Hall of Famers Willie Roaf and Will Shields on hand. The 2011 offensive line has players of all ages.

Ryan Lilja will play the left guard position he is used to playing while second-year player Jon Asamoah will get his chance to be the primary starter at right guard. Casey Wiegmann was with the Chiefs in 2003 and will carry a more leadership type role as he continues his second stint with the Chiefs.

With the offensive tackles, Branden Albert must continue to prove that he can be consistent throughout the season. Barry Richardson is one player many had hoped Matt Light would replace at the right offensive tackle position. For now, Richardson is the number one player for that position. This will be an important preseason for him as he has something to prove as well.

Offense in a Nutshell

Cassel has a ton of weapons to work with. Charles, Jones, McCluster, McClain, Bowe, Baldwin, Breaston and Moeaki are his targets. The Chiefs offense is full of talent. Unlike last year, Cassel will have more than Bowe to work with.

In the rushing game, the Chiefs have all kinds of options and a lot of speed. With Mc’Clain on the roster, the number one running game in the league got better.

The offensive line may take a step back with the loss of Waters, but it won’t be anything significant. Todd Haley and offensive coordinator Bill Muir have a strong core of players to work with as this offense as the potential to be the best in franchise history.

Defensive End

This is an odd comparison since it is between defensive ends who play in the 3-4 scheme with defensive ends who were part of a 4-3 scheme in 2003. But I had to throw in Wallace Gilberry to even up the comparison. As I’ve eluded to before, Gilberry has made more progress as a backup than Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson have made in the 3-4 defense.

Vonnie Holliday came away with 5.5 sacks in 2003 while Eric Hicks had five. With the 3-4 scheme, those are numbers that are out of reach for Dorsey and Jackson.

If the Chiefs give Gilberry a chance to start, he could make some big plays and help the defense improve in the pass rush.

Nose Tackle

As a second year player, Ryan Sims had a good season registering three sacks, one forced fumble and one interception in 2003, giving him a career high in those three categories. But that’s as good as it ever got for Sims. Sims averages less than one sack per season and is getting less playing time in the league today.

With the loss of Ron Edwards and Shaun Smith, newcomer Kelly Gregg could be the starter when the Chiefs play the Bills. Throughout his career, the Wichita, Kan. native has compiled 19.5 sacks in his 11 years in the league.

Gregg should be able to produce more than Sims as a Chief and help improve the play of the inside linebackers.

Inside Linebacker

In his six years with the Chiefs, Mike Maslowski wasn’t much of an impact player and his efforts weren’t noticed in 2003.

Derrick Johnson followed Maslowski’s footsteps until he turned his career around with a spectacular performance in the 2009 regular season finale against Denver. Johnson has been working with Brandon Siler, who spent his first four seasons with San Diego and has been part of three division titles.

The Chiefs received very little help from their middle linebackers in 2003 and have a lot of talent in Johnson this season.

Outside Linebacker

The comparisons are still hard, considering the two different schemes that are in play. Shawn Barber led the Chiefs linebackers in sacks with five while Scott Fujita recorded four in 2003.

However, the Chiefs today have Tamba Hali who is coming off of a career high for most sacks in a season as he led the AFC in sacks with 14.5. Hali has a knack for beating left offensive tackles and attacking most quarterbacks from their blind side.

With Justin Houston now part of the team, it’s in the air if he or Andy Studebaker will be start opposite of Hali in Week 1.

Cornerback

Although the Chiefs struggled through most of last decade on defense, their defensive backs did make some plays. Dexter McCleon and Eric Warfield both combined for 10 interceptions in 2003.

The Chiefs hope to get the same type of contribution from Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr. Javier Arenas is another player who stepped up and received a lot of playing time to help the Chiefs defensive backfield.

If Houston can live up to the high expectations, the three cornerbacks mentioned will have a great opportunity to earn themselves some interceptions.

Safety

Greg Wesley tied with McCleon for most interceptions on the team with six. Jerome Woods made some plays by stripping the ball loose three times in 2003.

The Chiefs could have a better foundation with second-year safeties Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis. With Berry making his presence known during his rookie season, you can expect him to have a huge season this year.

Berry started off the 2010 season slow, but with a full season under his belt, 2011 could be the year he catches the attention of every offensive coordinator in the league.

Defense in a Nutshell

Hali is the heartbeat of this defense. If he, along with Studebaker and Houston, can apply pressure from the outside, then the Chiefs are golden on defense. Berry and Flowers are happy to see Hali earn a five-year contract and to finally see him back on the practice field.

Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel must put Gilberry out there and give him the opportunity to start. Gilberry has quietly finished second on the team in sacks for the past two seasons.

If Johnson steps up more on defense, the Chiefs will have one of the scariest defenses in the league. The matchups against the Patriots, Colts and Steelers will be very intriguing to watch and see how the young defense performs.

Special Teams Returner

I’ll prevent kicker and punter talk, as the Chiefs are fine in those positions right now.

In 2003, Dante Hall had a memorable season that no other returner in NFL history ever had. Hall returned four touchdowns back on special teams in just as many weeks. Many considered Hall as a serious candidate for MVP.

That season, he returned a 93-yard punt for a touchdown against Denver, giving him the longest punt return in franchise history.

Seven years later, McCluster broke Hall’s record and came away with a 94-yard punt return touchdown in the 2010 season opener on Monday Night Football against San Diego.

However, McCluster missed five games due to a high ankle sprain and was unable to prove himself more in the special teams game.

The Chiefs also have Arenas and Breaston as options for the position.